Fat Head: Tom Naughton's manifesto for low-carb eating

12. March 2010 William Davis (16)
I just got back from Jimmy Moore's low-carb cruise to the Bahamas.

Among the many interesting people I met on the cruise was the creator of the documentary film, Fat Head, Tom Naughton.

Tom brings both creative insights into low-carbohydrate eating as well as humor. Low-carb eating can be a pretty contentious issue, but Tom made it fun. He will make you laugh about many of the odd notions we have about diet.

Among the best parts of Fat Head is Tom's portrayal of the effects of carbohydrates on insulin and fat metabolism:






Fat Head joins the ranks of films like Food, Inc, that make nutrition information entertaining. For anyone interested in a unvarnished look at diet, weight loss, along with a few laughs along the way, Tom Naughton's Fat Head is worth viewing.

Oatmeal: Good or bad?

11. March 2010 William Davis (67)

You've heard it before: oatmeal reduces cholesterol. Oatmeal producers have obtained permission from the FDA to use a cholesterol-reducing claim. The American Heart Association provides a (paid) endorsement of Quaker Oats.

I've lost count of the times I've asked someone whether they ate a healthy breakfast and the answer was "Sure. I had oatmeal."

Is this true? Is oatmeal heart healthy because it reduces LDL cholesterol?

I don't think so. Try this: Have a serving of slow-cooked (e.g., steel-cut, Irish, etc.) oatmeal. Most people will consume oatmeal with skim or 1% milk and some dried or fresh fruit. Wait an hour, then check your blood sugar.

If you are not diabetic and have a fasting blood sugar in the "normal" range (<100 mg/dl), you will typically have a 1-hour blood glucose of 150-180 mg/dl--very high. If you have mildly increased fasting blood sugars between 100 and 126 mg/dl, postprandial (after-eating) blood sugars will easily exceed 180 mg/dl. If you have diabetes, hold onto your hat because, even if you take medications, blood sugar one hour after oatmeal will usually be between 200 and 300 mg/dl.

This is because oatmeal is converted rapidly to sugar, and a lot of it. Even if you were to repeat the experiment with no dried or fresh fruit, you will still witness high blood sugars in these ranges. Do like some people and pile on the raisins, dried cranberries, or brown sugar, and you will see blood sugars go even higher.

Blood sugars this high, experienced repetitively, will damage the delicate insulin-producing beta cells of your pancreas (glucose toxicity). It also glycates proteins of the eyes and vascular walls. The blood glucose effects of oatmeal really don't differ much from a large Snickers bar or bowl of jelly beans.

If you are like most people, you too will show high blood sugars after oatmeal. It's easy to find out . . . check your postprandial blood sugar.

In past, I recommended oat products, specifically oat bran, to reduce LDL, especially small LDL. I've changed my mind: I now no longer recommend any oat product due to its blood sugar-increasing effects.

Better choices: eggs, ground flaxseed as a hot cereal, cheese (the one dairy product that does not excessively trigger insulin), raw nuts, salads, leftovers from last evening's dinner.

Mustard: Super health food?

6. March 2010 William Davis (32)
Could mustard--yes, the yellow condiment you smear on hot dogs--be a super heart healthy food in disguise?

Consider that mustard contains:

Vinegar

Turmeric

No appreciable sugar


The vinegar slows gastric emptying, resulting in slower absorption of any carbohydrates and a reduced glucose area-under-the-curve. Of the little fats contained (about 3 grams per 1/4 cup), most are desirable monounsaturates. Mustards are relatively rich in selenium, with 20 mcg per 1/4 cup, helpful for protection against cancer and thyroid disease, and magnesium, 31 mg per 1/4 cup.

Turmeric is added to most mustards. One of the constituents of turmeric, curcumin, the substance that confers the bright yellow color, has been a focus of interest for its anti-inflammatory effects. Curcumin has been documented to reduce activity of the inflammatory enzymes cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipoxygenase, and reduce activity of inflammatory signal molecules, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), interleukin (IL)-1,2,6,8, and 12, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP). Curcumin also has been shown to reduce LDL oxidation, a potentially important step in atherosclerotic plaque formation. Turmeric is used as a tea by Okinawans. (Hmmmm . . . )

Turmeric content of mustard can vary, of course. Likewise, sugar content. Look for mustards that are not sweetened, so avoid honey mustard in particular. Look for hot, brown, horseradish, Dijon, etc. If there is a downside to mustard, it's sodium content, though the 709 mg per 1/4 cup should only be a problem for those who are sodium-sensitive (African Americans, in particular).

So perhaps mustard isn't exactly a super health food. But it may have some bona fide health effects and should be used generously especially if you are concerned about blood sugar and inflammatory phenomena.

Exercise and blood sugar

5. March 2010 William Davis (30)
There is no doubt that exercise yields benefits across a spectrum of health: reduced blood pressure,  reduced inflammation, reduced blood coagulation, better weight control, stronger bones, less depression, reduced risk for heart attack.

Exercise also influences blood sugar. Diabetics understand this best: Exercise reduces blood sugar 20, 30, 50 or more milligrams. A starting blood sugar, for instance, of 160 mg/dl can be reduced to 80 mg/dl by jogging or riding a bicycle. (I recently had brunch at an Indian restaurant with my family. Blood sugar one-hour postprandial: 134 mg/dl. I was sleepy and foggy. I got on my stationary bike and pedalled at a moderate clip for 60 minutes. Blood sugar: 90 mg/dl.)

Could the reduction of blood sugar with exercise be THE reason that exercise and physical activity provide such substantial benefits?

Think about it. Reduced blood sugar:

1) Reduces risk for future cardiovascular events.
2) Reduces glycation of proteins, i.e., reduced glucose binding to proteins like the ones in artery walls and the lenses of your eyes.
3) Reduces blood coagulation
4) Reduces endothelial dysfunction (abnormal artery constriction that leads to atherosclerosis)

This might explain why it doesn't require high levels of aerobic activity to derive benefit from exercise, since even modest efforts (e.g., a 15-minute walk after eating) reduce blood sugar substantially.

The incredible 33-year, 18,000-participant Whitehall study tells us that a postprandial (after-eating) blood sugar of an impossibly-difficult 83 mg/dl is required to erase the excess cardiovascular risk of blood sugar. Could this simply be telling us that physical activity or exercise is required to suppress blood sugars to these low levels?

It makes me wonder if an index of the adequacy of exercise is your post-exercise blood glucose.

The most important weight loss tool

4. March 2010 William Davis (15)

Question: What is the most effective tool available to help you lose weight? 


A pedometer (walk 10,000 steps, etc.)?

A treadmill? 




A bicycle?






No. None of the above. 

The most important tool you can use to achieve weight loss is your glucose monitor:



Timing of blood sugars

3. March 2010 William Davis (5)
Because different foods generate different blood sugar (glucose) responses, the timing of your blood sugar is an important factor to consider.

This question has come up a number of times. Commenters have asked whether the one-hour postprandial glucose is timed with the start of the meal or the conclusion of the meal.

In my view, if we simply ignored all aspects of meal composition, then blood glucose should be obtained one hour after the conclusion of a meal. This is because most mixed meals (i.e., mixed in composition among proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) yield peak blood glucose levels at 60-90 minutes after consumption. Timing blood glucose to 60 minutes after the conclusion of a meal puts the sample right about at the peak.

But this is an oversimplification. For instance, here is the blood glucose behavior after so-called "complex" carbohydrates wheat bread, rye bread, rye made with beta glucan, and whole wheat pasta (50 grams carbohydrates each) in slender, healthy volunteers, mean age 29 years:


From Juntunen et al 2002

Note that blood glucose peaks at 35 minutes postprandial. (To convert glucose in mmol/L to mg/dl, multiple by 18. Thus, whole wheat bread increased blood glucose from 94 mg/dl to 122 mg/dl. Also note the lower peak glucose for pasta, but sustained higher glucose levels hours later.)

In another study, older (mean age 64 years), overweight (BMI 27.9) females with diabetes were given 50 grams carbohydrate, 50 grams carbohydrate with olive oil, or 50 grams carbohydrate with butter:


From Thomsen et al 2003. Control meal of soup plus 50 g carbohydrates ({blacktriangledown}), the control meal plus 80 g olive oil ({circ}), and the control meal plus 100 g butter (•).

In this experience, note that postprandial glucose peaks 60-120 minutes after the meals (consumed within 10 minutes), delayed more when either oil is included. Blood glucose started at 144 mg/dl and peaked as high as 230 mg/dl with carbohydrates only; peaks were reduced (along with AUC) when oil was included. (Note the differential effect, olive oil vs. butter.)

These two sets of observations give you a range of blood glucose behavior. One side lesson: Carbohydrates should never consumed by themselves, else you will pay with a high blood sugar (not to mention the hypoglycemic response later for many).

Psssst . . . There's sugar in there

1. March 2010 William Davis (13)
You non-diabetics who check your postprandial blood sugars already know: There are hidden sources of sugar in so many foods.

By now, everybody should know that foods like breakfast cereals, breads, bagels, pretzels, and crackers cause blood sugar to skyrocket after you eat them. But sometimes you eat something you thought was safe only to find you're showing blood sugars of 120, 130, 150+ mg/dl.

Where can you find such "stealth" sources of sugars that can screw up your postprandial blood sugars, small LDL, inflammation, blood pressure, and cause you to grow visceral fat? Here's a few:

Balsamic vinaigrette
Many commercially-prepared balsamic vinaigrettes, especially the "light" varieties, have 3 or more grams carbohydrates per tablespoon. Generous use of a sugar-added vinaigrette can therefore provide 12+ grams carbs. (Some, like Emeril's and Wish Bone, also contain high-fructose corn syrup.)

Hamburgers
I learned this lesson the hard way by taking my blood sugar after having a hamburger, turkey burger, or vegetarian burger (without bun): blood sugar would go way up. The effect is due to bread crumbs added to the meat or soy.

Tomato soup
If it were just tomatoes, it would still be somewhat high in sugars. But commercially-prepared tomato soup often contains added high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and wheat flour, bringing sugar totals to 12 to 20+ grams per half-cup. A typical 2-cup bowl of tomato soup can have upwards of 80 grams of sugar.

Granola
Sure, granola contains a lot of fiber. But most granolas come packed with sugars in various forms. One cup of Kellogg's Low-fat Granola with Raisins contains an incredible 72 grams (net) carbohydrates, of which 25 grams are sugar.


Given modern appetites and serving sizes, you can see that it is very easy to get carried away and, before you know it, get exposed to extraordinary amounts of sugar and carbohydrates eating foods you thought were healthy.

And don't be fooled by claims of "natural" sugar. Sugar is sugar--Just check your blood sugar and you'll see. So raw cane sugar, beet sugar, and brown sugar have the same impact as white table sugar. Honey, maple syrup, and agave? They're worse (due to fructose).

How low should blood sugar be?

28. February 2010 William Davis (0)
What should your blood sugar (glucose) be after eating?

Take a look at the data from the Whitehall study reported in 2006. The Whitehall Study stands apart from other studies in that it was very large (over 18,000 participants) who were observed for an unusually long time (33 years). All participants were administered a 50 gram glucose "challenge" at the start with glucose levels checked after the glucose challenge.

Here's what they found:




From Brunner et al 2006.
Vitamin D: Deficiency vs optimum level

Vitamin D: Deficiency vs optimum level

19. December 2010 William Davis (20)
Dr. James Dowd of the Vitamin D Cure posted his insightful comments regarding the Institute of Medicine's inane evaluation of vitamin D.

Dr. Dowd hits a bullseye with this remark:

The IOM is focusing on deficiency when it should be focusing on optimal health values for vitamin D. The scientific community continues to argue about the lower limit of normal when we now have definitive pathologic data showing that an optimal vitamin D level is at or above 30 ng/mL. Moreover, if no credible toxicity has been reported for vitamin D levels below 200 ng/mL, why are we obsessing over whether our vitamin D level should be 20 ng/mL or 30 ng/mL?

Yes, indeed. Have no doubts: Vitamin D deficiency is among the greatest public health problems of our age; correction of vitamin D (using the human form of vitamin D, i.e., D3 or cholecalciferol, not the invertebrate or plant form, D2 or ergocalciferol) is among the most powerful health solutions.

I have seen everything from relief from winter "blues," to reversal of arthritis, to stopping the progression of aortic valve disease, to partial reversal of dementia by achieving 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels of 50 ng/ml or greater. (I aim for 60-70 ng/ml.)

The IOM's definition of vitamin D adequacy rests on what level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D reverses hyperparathyroidism (high PTH levels) and rickets. Surely there is more to health than that.

Dr. Dowd and vocal vitamin D advocate, Dr. John Cannell, continue to champion the vitamin D cause that, like many health issues, conradicts the "wisdom" of official organizations like the IOM.
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Comments (20) -

  • Anton

    12/19/2010 2:20:07 AM |

    Thanks for your great blog, and for your interest in Vitamin D.

    Along with doctors Dowd and Cannell, add Dr. Holick as another pioneer in Vitamin D. research.

    http://www.vitamindhealth.org/

  • Anonymous

    12/19/2010 4:58:25 AM |

    I bet natural vitamin d is far superior to oral supplementation.  I think vit D absorbtion is optimized by low carb, but you also need some sunlight added into the picture.

  • Dr. William Davis

    12/19/2010 1:59:13 PM |

    Hi, Anon--

    Where I live, it's been around 10 degrees Fahrenheit for about two weeks straight. Probably too cold to lay out in a bathing suit.

    For many of us, supplementation is the only choice.

    Also, don't forget that the majority of people after age 40 have lost much of their ability to activate vit D in the skin.

  • kellgy

    12/19/2010 5:02:25 PM |

    I just added his book to my wish list and it will be my next read. I am beginning to wonder why don't we seek to reach serum vitamin D somewhere between 100-150 range. Has there been any research indicating any response to these levels? Even with all the recent research focusing on vitamin D, it would be nice to understand overall health responses at varying degrees of serum content from deficiency to toxicity. We need a wider perspective to draw from.

    BTW, an update: 110 pounds and counting . . . My BMI is about to fall into the normal range and my health has never been better!

    This is an unusual thought. Sitting in front of a very warm and soothing fire last night, I was wondering how my skin reacts to the radiation, aside from the warmth and relaxation benefits.

  • IggyDalrymple

    12/20/2010 3:07:51 AM |

    My level dropped 20 points when I reduced my intake from 10,000 iu/day to 5,000 /day.  I went back to 10,000 and now I'm at 63 ng/ml.  I'll stick with 10,000 iu unless I exceed 100 ng/ml.

  • Susanne

    12/20/2010 7:06:08 AM |

    I wonder if there is not a missing piece to the puzzle of vitamin D deficiency in relation to adequate iodine levels.  I have appended text from the website Iodine4health.  In it Dr. Vickery noticed a connection between the two:

    ”I have also noted an apparent connection between bringing sufficient iodine to a bromine plugged thyroid, and the vitamin D metabolism of the body. Although I am unaware of the exact mechanism, it seems clear that the calcitonin/parathyroid hormone/Vitamin D/calcium balance in the body changes as people on iodine loading programs often register as vitamin D deficient when they did not previously."

    I believe this to be my case.  I tested my vitamin D levels for years and they were optimal based on Dr. Mercola's recommendations and I supplemented with D in the form of cod liver oil rarely.  Then I started taking iodine and I had such a dramatic improvement in symptoms that I knew I had been iodine deficient perhaps my entire life.  After 2-3 years of iodine supplemention I am going to get my D levels tested soon.

  • Anonymous

    12/20/2010 12:10:49 PM |

    Susanne
    Please write the name of the test you underwent to find iodine deficient?Is it a routine blood test that nay primary care doc can order?Readers please chime in please

    Regards
    SMK

  • Pater_Fortunatos

    12/20/2010 1:02:01 PM |

    Published less than a month ago:

    Vitamin D deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis: prevalence, determinants and associations with disease activity and disability

    http://arthritis-research.com/content/12/6/R216

  • Anonymous

    12/20/2010 9:58:20 PM |

    "Probably too cold to lay out in a bathing suit."

    Did you try without?
    OK, couldn't resist.

  • Anonymous

    12/20/2010 10:21:05 PM |

    Just a quick question about D3 supplements. I know that dry tabs aren't ideal because they're hard for the body to absorb but what about capsulated powdered D3?

  • Anonymous

    12/21/2010 1:34:06 AM |

    Have an observation using a vitamin D light that I thought to mention.  I take vitamin D capsules and have been doing so for around 5 years.  This winter I decided that I would also use a vitamin D3 light pretty much each day in addition to taking the capsules.  I bought a light sold on Dr Cannell's sight.  I've noticed that sunlight and the artificial D3 light makes me feel warm through out the day, something D3 isn't able to do for me, at least.  And with this cold fall/winter going on right now, this 10 minutes of sunlight is a big plus!    

    Well, there might be a nice bonus from using the light.  I think I'm growing bigger, in a muscular way.  I do work out at a gym and have done so for over 1 years.  Just began the slow burn process last week.  But this muscle growth seems to have started around the time I made a conscious effort to use the indoor light or obtain some sunlight.  

    Anyway, no way to prove, and could be completely wrong about this.  Just something I've noticed as my shirts have grown tighter over the last couple months.  Weight has gone up also by a few pounds. I'm pleased.

  • Jessica

    12/22/2010 7:29:50 PM |

    SMK- the test for iodine that we order in our clinic (family practice) is an iodine loading 24 hour urine test.

    patients take 50 mg of iodoral then capture their urine for the next 24 hours to see how much is excreted.

    There is a 2 week prep, though, that helps ensure the test is accurate.

    Dr. Brownstein (?) has several books on the topic. I think he recommends the load testing method in his book, "Iodine, why we need it, why we can't live without it."

  • Chris Masterjohn

    12/23/2010 2:10:47 AM |

    I'll be posting my comments on the IOM report soon, although this sucker is 999 pages long and taking me a while to read.  I don't think it is at all true that it focuses on "deficiency" instead of "optimal levels."  I think it is quite clearly and very explicitly focused on optimal levels.  

    The IOM claims to not have found sufficient evidence to conclude that higher levels are optimal.  Now, I do believe that there is good enough evidence to act on the hypothesis that levels should be above 30 ng/mL, and my impression so far is that there is very little data supporting an argument for >50 ng/mL as some suggest.  That said, I won't be convinced that the IOM is *wrong* that definitive evidence for greater than 20 ng/mL is lacking until I finish reading the report and look at some of the primary references.

    I do think it's important, however, to exercise the freedom to act on hypotheses.  If we needed definitive evidence for everyone we do, our familial relations and whole lives would fall apart.  Still, I think the IOM had a responsibility to assess the quality of the evidence and only solidify what is definitive into recommendations, as long as those recommendations don't preclude the freedom to use higher levels.

    In any case, hopefully I can finish this bad boy in the next week and blog about it.

    Chris

  • Anonymous

    12/24/2010 3:43:54 AM |

    Isn't anyone concerned about all those studies summarized in the IOM report showing increased mortality at the highest D levels? 50 ng/ml is the highest level that I can justify targeting.

  • Lacey

    12/24/2010 3:17:52 PM |

    Off topic, but...I wish Paleo bloggers were better at spotting and stopping spam comments.

    Blogger Brooklyn said...Awesome Blog!!! blah blah blah blah

    Funny, Brooklyn had the exact same words to say over on Stephan Guyanet's blog:  http://tinyurl.com/2v25wc3

    His wonderful blog that he links back to says, among other things, "In the meantime, they recommend that all people, with or without diabetes, should have a healthy balanced diet, low in fat, salt and sugar with plenty of fruit and vegetables." It's also chock full of plagiarized text.

    Sincere paleo fan or linkspammer?  You be the judge.

  • Travis Culp

    12/25/2010 4:38:25 AM |

    Has anyone tested vitamin D levels in indigenous people? I try to dose about 30 minutes a day of sun during solar noon without a shirt on during the summer and 5000 IU a day for the rest of the year. No idea what my level would be though.

  • Peter

    12/25/2010 12:45:12 PM |

    I'm more concerned about official organizations going beyond the evidence (eat margarine! eat carbs! avoid saturated fat!) than  being over-cautious when there's not a lot of reliable research.

  • Anonymous

    1/4/2011 4:26:38 AM |

    One more comment on my apparently deleted comment - there's a possibiliy I never typed in the word verification code, but I believe I did actually post the comment. Sorry, if I did falsely accuse.

  • Brad Fallon

    3/5/2011 6:08:50 PM |

    Vitamin D Deficiency, what is the best natural source apart from sunshine to help keep the levels up?

  • Anonymous

    3/21/2011 4:15:01 PM |

    I just found my new vitamin store. The prices are the lowest I could find. They gave me a free gift of $5.00 with no minimum purchase and I got free shipping! The code I used at checkout is WIR500. Maybe it will work for you too?

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